The Top 7 SMS Marketing Recommended Practices to Follow Before Sending a Message

The Top 7 SMS Marketing Recommended Practices to Follow Before Sending a Message

SMS marketing has rapidly turned into a crucial medium for companies. To help you get the most out of it, here are seven recommended practises.

Did you know that the typical consumer uses their smartphone for texting or calling others every day for about 36 minutes? The majority of these communications are performed mindlessly. But you shouldn’t use your pals’ rapid-fire texting style for marketing messages.

Because customers feel obligated to read text messages, SMS marketing is one of the more intrusive methods of reaching them. In their inbox, 2 out of 5 customers have more than 50 unread emails, according to the Sinch 2020 Mobile Consumer Engagement study, whereas just about 2 out of 50 consumers have more than 50 unread messages. High open rates are emphasised by many bulk SMS providers as one of the finest aspects of text message marketing. We see it as a signal of greater stakes.

To assist you satisfy customer expectations when you roll out your text message marketing campaigns, our team at Campaign Monitor has compiled a list of SMS marketing best practises. Success demands adhering to conventional marketing principles while taking into account how customers engage with texts. If your SMS don’t fit into your consumers’ inboxes, they can stop receiving them. To make sure your messages are a pleasant interruption, use the SMS marketing advice listed below.

1. Adhere to industry standards

Depending on the nation (or state) you’re sending to, there may be differences in the industry standards. No matter who your audience is, there are basic guidelines that we advise adhering to.

Improve your chances of success by:

Before delivering any text messages to your audience, explicitly request their consent. We advise doing this using a sign-up or subscription form. Evidence that your clients have consented to receive SMS marketing should be kept safe.

Make sure your sign-up CTAs are clear so that customers understand what you’ll text them about and how many messages they can anticipate receiving each month.

every message you send must contain your company name in order to be recognised as a marketing communication.

Texting within office hours, which are normally 8 AM to 9 PM local time, is recommended, however you’ll probably get the greatest response between mid-morning and mid-afternoon.

Providing instructions on how to unsubscribe in each SMS message (Reply STOP or include a link to unsubscribe)

2. Use SMS for urgent and vital messaging.

The most effective SMS marketing strategies provide your contact list with constant value. Deliver urgent updates or time-sensitive information via SMS to strengthen customer interactions with your business.

We also advise rewarding members with exclusive deals to give a sense of exclusivity. Free delivery and SMS-only discounts are excellent incentives to encourage sign-ups and keep customers on your list. By clearly stating the CTA in each communication, you can convince readers of the advantages of joining your list.

3. SMS Sending routine

One message per week is the ideal frequency for the majority of SMS marketing types. Start there and after you have a large enough contact list to acquire useful data, experiment with changing your message cadence. If you know your target demographic well, you could risk starting with a greater send frequency. Be careful not to spam too much. After a firm sends 10-15 communications per month, Upland data reveals a marked increase in unsubscribe rates.

Remember how we said earlier that SMS messages disturb your customers? That’s why message cadence is so crucial. Every message you give must be worthwhile to read right away. If it isn’t, you’re violating the confidence your customers placed in you when they gave you their phone numbers.

Don’t forget to take into account the ideal times to send a campaign. A decent rule of thumb is 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM local time, with audiences most likely to participate between mid-morning and mid-afternoon. The least amount of engagement occurs on Sundays, so it’s probably better to wait unless you have a really compelling cause to send on that day.

4. Be succinct without losing clarity.

Do U want 2 rcv a msg that 👀 lyk dis from ur fave brand? Neither do we. Text talk is irritating and unprofessional, even though you want to make the most of the 160 available characters. Where possible, avoid using acronyms since they make writing more difficult to understand.

Take Ulta as an example; the business typed “24 PC” instead of “24-piece.” The majority of individuals can decipher the message’s meaning, but it takes time. The capitalization is irrelevant because most people know what a PC is.

5. Use a conversational tone.

You should respect the core function of text messaging, which is dialogue. You want your readers to believe that you are speaking to them, not at them. SMS is a fantastic platform for more intimately expressing the voice of your brand.

To begin, personalise and segment your audience to provide messages that are relevant to their interests and prior actions. Next, draught a text message rather than a subject line. Instead of speaking to your complete marketing list, messages should appear to be addressed to just one individual.